


Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnanacy and Childbirth

by lokithegodofsass



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Human, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 17:09:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12258570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokithegodofsass/pseuds/lokithegodofsass
Summary: Garroway Books is Alec Lightwood’s favorite hangout spot, but ever since Magnus Bane got a job there, he has trouble concentrating on his books. Magnus catches him checking him out one day and, in a panic, Alec picks up a book– an embarrassing one– and pretends to read it. (based on a prompthere)





	Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnanacy and Childbirth

The owner of Garroway Books was a tall, dark skinned man named Luke. He was a NYPD detective until a suspect’s dog attacked him and tore up his leg. He decided to give up his career in favor of opening a bookstore with his fiancée, Jocelyn Fairchild. Luke still entertained his customers with stories about the force, some of which were almost too crazy to believe. Jocelyn’s daughter, Clary, was there every afternoon after school. She would sit in an isolated corner with her paint set and her best friend, Simon Lewis. Luke recently hired Maia Roberts, a foster girl with a scrappy attitude and fierce loyalty towards her friends.

To Alec Lightwood, who would often spend hours at the bookstore while his siblings were out being social, the staff was almost like family. They all knew him by name and let him read in silence for as long as he wanted. None of them really bothered him (with the exception of Simon, who didn’t seem to know the definition of the word silence and bugged him relentlessly about his sister Isabelle). The bookstore provided a quiet, stress free environment for when Alec needed a break from his life.

That is, until Luke hired Magnus Bane and the bookstore’s atmosphere completely changed.

None of this was directly Magnus’s fault, of course. Magnus was a friend of Maia’s through the foster care system and Alec had never met anyone quite like him. The system had long ago gifted Maia with a hardened exterior, but Magnus was different. He was a fearless free spirit who refused to let anything stop him from being himself. He shared Alec’s taste in literature and he would always put books aside that he thought he would enjoy when new shipments came in. His instincts were always dead on and Alec’s list of favorite books had grown steadily since Magnus’s arrival.

Even with a whole collection of new books to read through every month, Alec often spent more time focusing on the man himself than actually reading. He’d hear Magnus’ musical laughter as he talked with another customer in the next aisle and he’d have to bite his lip to keep a ridiculous smile at bay. It was even worse when he was actually in his line of vision. Then Alec would get distracted by his brown eyes lined with kohl and his kind smile and the way that his jeans hugged his legs.

Today, Magnus’s spiked black hair was tipped blonde and his eyes were also lined with glitter, which made his eyes flash yellow when the light hit them at just the right angle. Alec had finished his book that Magnus had picked out for him and he really should’ve gone home hours ago, but he didn’t want to leave without discussing it with him. 

Magnus was currently helping a perpetually grumpy regular and he climbed up a step ladder with a cat-like grace to grab a book from the top shelf. Maia always flat out refused to deal with this particular man, but Magnus was an expert at defusing tricky situations without bloodshed.

“You’re right, it’s cruel to put books out of reach like that,” Magnus reassured him. “But sadly, sometimes it’s a necessity. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have room for all of our new books.”

“I suppose,” the customer gave him a quick once over. “Thank you, Magnus."

“Of course,” Magnus hopped off the stool and handed the book to the customer. “I hope your daughter enjoys that book. It’s a thrilling read.” Everyone who met Magnus was seemingly enchanted, which was something that he knew how to use to his advantage. It was truly a wonder that Magnus paid Alec any attention at all, let alone took the time every week to make a reading list for him.

“I’m sure she will,” the customer actually smiled and patted Magnus’s arm gently before departing. Magnus smiled back, the type of smile that seemed to suck the rest of the light out of the room before reaching down to grab the stool. Alec knew that he should look away, but he couldn’t tear his gaze to the way that his pants grabbed at him as he bent over. Magnus straightened up and turned before catching his gaze with a furrowed brow. Alec felt his jaw drop and his heart pound painfully in his chest.

Without thinking, he grabbed the nearest book and opened it to a random page.

“Can I help you with anything?” Magnus asked slowly and he was right in front of Alec before he could process the situation. Alec chanced a look at him and saw that the corners of his lips were upturned in a small smirk. “Belly Laughs? That’s an… interesting choice.”

“Yes,” Alec managed to spit out, even though he felt like his entire mouth had gone dry as soon as Magnus made eye contact with him. “I needed some… lighthearted comedy to break up all the heavy stuff you always give me.” Magnus actually laughed at that, a small giggle that made Alec’s stomach flip.

“Well, I hope you enjoy it,” Magnus reached over and traced a gentle finger over the spine of the book. “Although if you’re looking for a new book to read here, I might not have as much of a chance as I thought.”

“Chance at what?” Alec asked softly. Magnus just gave him an amused smile and shrugged before organizing more books at a nearby table.

“Oh, just some silly idea I had to ask you out on a date,” Magnus stated so casually that Alec felt his jaw drop to the ground.

“A date,” Alec repeated, since there had to be some mistake. Someone like Magnus Bane, so beautiful and intelligent and effortlessly charming, would never dream of asking him out. He would think Magnus was joking, but he had never known him to be malicious. 

“Yes,” Magnus met his gaze and Alec could see that he was biting back a smile. If making fun of Alec’s crush was so funny to him, maybe he wasn’t as wonderful as he thought. “But I’m just far too young to get caught up in teen pregnancy drama. Still, I wish you luck.”

“What?” Alec asked with a short laugh. Because his crushing disappointment was quickly being replaced with confusion.

“You’ll have to let me know what you think of the book,” Magnus took the book from Alec and flipped it over so that he could read the page that Alec had turned to. Alec got a glimpse of the title and had never wished to vanish into thin air more in his life.

“Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth,” he read out loud, his cheeks flaming up in humiliation. He was completely screwed. How would he ever explain to Magnus that he was in the maternity section without mentioning that he had been watching him restock? Not to mention that Magnus now thought pregnancy books were Alec’s idea of “lighthearted comedy”. If he didn’t think he was a freak before, he definitely would now.

“You really should’ve just let me catch you checking me out, this book is very… explicit,” Magnus stated nonchalantly as he scanned through the book.

“Oh god,” Alec blanched. “Can the floor swallow me up yet?”

“Shh, I’m enthralled,” Magnus held up a hand to silence Alec as he leaned against the nearest bookshelf. “Listen to this. ’Finally, his sperm have been put to good use. His poor little fish didn’t have to die in a cold rubber, drown in spermicide, or get scrubbed out of your hair’. She has a point, that’s never fun.”

“It doesn’t really say that,” Alec scrambled to Magnus’s side, choosing to completely ignore his offhanded comment. He flipped the page and widened his eyes as the author went into more detail about her child’s conception than he ever needed to know. “I really hope that her kid’s illiterate.”

“But then he couldn’t ever get a job at a bookstore and spend way too much time trying to seduce an adorable but frustratingly clueless customer with book lists,” Magnus sighed morosely as he met Alec’s gaze. “And it would be truly tragic to deny him of that, wouldn’t it?” 

“I guess,” Alec couldn’t help but grin. Magnus stepped closer and placed a quick kiss to Alec’s lips. It was over before Alec could react at all or even process that he tasted vaguely of strawberries or that he raised that horrid book to shield their faces from the rest of the store. 

“I’m sorry,” Magnus raked his teeth over his lower lip gently, his eyes shining with amusement and something else that Alec couldn’t quite place. Alec just stared dumbly back, his heart racing and his own lips tingling with an urge for more. “You just have an incredibly beautiful smile. I know we haven’t had a proper date, but I was overcome with the urge to kiss you.”

“I- um,” Alec rubbed the back of his neck gently. “That wasn’t a real kiss.” Magnus’s eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth in a quirked smile, seeming to already have a quip prepared, but Alec had already gone for a second kiss before he got to hear it. He took his time in getting to know how Magnus kissed, from the slight pressure of his chin pressing up against his own to how damn soft his lips were to him raising the book back up again (and now their first two kisses were hidden behind the pages of a horrifyingly detailed pregnancy book) to the smile that hadn’t quite disappeared. Alec could feel Magnus surrender control, seemingly deciding to eagerly follow Alec’s lead instead of fighting for power. He was beginning to remember that he was kissing Magnus at his place of work and how, while Luke would never fire him for that, it could still land him in a bit of trouble. Magnus broke the kiss before he could concern himself too much and looked back at him, his eyes glimmering with happiness.

“I should get back to work,” Magnus said softly as he lowered the book back to his side. Alec wanted to kiss him again and give him the same control that Magnus had given him just to see where it would lead. “But my shift ends in about an hour and a half. We could go to that cute little bakery across the street and pick up a snack?”

“I would love that,” Alec stated quickly. For the first time, he heard a flicker of hesitation in the always confident Magnus Bane’s tone. “A lot, actually. I can’t wait, Magnus.”

“Wonderful,” Magnus placed a quick kiss on Alec’s cheek before putting Belly Laughs back on the shelf where it rightfully belonged.

Magnus spent the rest of his shift sneaking winks in Alec’s direction and bringing him increasingly ridiculous books when the crowds lulled. Alec spent the rest of it avoiding the parenting aisle like the plague and flipping through the books when Magnus started to take up too much of his thoughts.

After Magnus got off of work, he found Alec and they left Garroway Books together. They weren’t quite hand in hand, since Alec wasn’t a huge fan of PDA, but they walked close enough together so that their arms would brush together as they swung at their sides. Magnus spent their date listing the books that were coming in the next shipment to give Alec a heads up on what to expect with his next book list and breaking off pieces of his cupcake to give to Alec. Alec had always enjoyed listening to Magnus talk and watched him with a fond smile as he moved his fingers animatedly while describing a Stephen King novel that was expected to be delivered.

They snuck many quick kisses in between conversation points, but neither of the boys felt compelled to hide them anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first published Malec fic and I hope it doesn't absolutely suck lol. If you want to come say hi, you could follow my [shadowhunters blog](http://www.tricksterbane.tumblr.com) or come find me on [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/platypusbane)


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